Christopher DelGiorno, Vice President for College Advancement, welcomed more than 65 Marist College alumni, current undergraduates, prospective students, and parents at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C., on March 12, 2018.

During the reception Executive Vice President Dr. Geoffrey Brackett shared an update on the College and the institution’s new Strategic Plan. Dr. Martin Shaffer, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, told the audience about the exciting opportunities Marist students can take advantage of in Washington, D.C., and highlighted ways in which alumni can support Marist students with additional opportunities. Dr. Helen Rothberg, professor in the School of Management, touched upon key observations in her recently published book, The Perfect Mix: Everything I Know About Leadership I Learned as a Bartender.

Desmond Murray, Associate Director for the Employer Experience in the Center for Career Services, distributed a one page document to Marist alumni at the reception entitled Marist Alumni Opportunities Washington, D.C. The document included information on how Marist alumni can participate in a proposed Washington, D.C. Career Trip scheduled for spring 2019, join the Marist Alumni Network, post an internship or job on the Center for Career Services’ FoxQuest system, and join the Marist College Alumni LinkedIn page.

Murray met with many Marist alumni at the reception and will follow up with all of them concerning internship and full-time job opportunities.

Given out annually since 1993, the Marist College Intern of the Year award recognizes graduating seniors who participate in internships, co-op positions, externships, or student teaching positions. Students are nominated by internship faculty coordinators in their respective schools.

One college-wide award is given to a student who has received the highest rating score of all of the various schools from a panel of three (3) judges, all of whom are Marist employees. The other awards are given to recipients in each of the schools at Marist College.

The nominated students are rated by judges on:

- GPA
- Resume presentation
- Level of involvement in intern program
- Evidence of professional growth
- Level of work responsibility
- Impact of placement on career decisions
- Student's written communications
- Overall impression of materials presented

For the second Career Trip of the Spring 2018 semester, the Marist College Center For Career Services took eight communications students to the Hudson Square area of Manhattan on Feb. 9 to meet alumni and other employees working at CBS Radio, now known as Entercom.

The afternoon included a musical performance by a platinum recording artist, studio tours on two floors, and meet and greet opportunities with leaders across the technical, news, sports, on-air, programming, and sales departments at the Entercom facility. Rich Nass ’92, director of automotive sales for Entercom New York, helped plan and organize the visit.

Some attendees began their trip earlier in the day when they were treated to a two-song stage show by Vance Joy in the building’s performance hall. Vance Joy also participated in a Q&A with the students following his performance.

The first stop on the building tour was the control room, where students learned about technical operations of all CBS stations with Market Chief Engineer Jim McGivern. Next was the space for WCBS News Radio 880 AM, the flagship station of CBS Radio News. News and Program Director Tim Scheld showed students the behind the scenes coordination of a live broadcast.

One floor below the newsroom students also got to tour three studios of the world’s earliest 24/7 sports radio station: WFAN Sports Radio (660 AM, 101.9 FM). Vice President of Programming Mark Chernoff led a discussion on his career path in the radio industry and brought the group to the studios used for broadcasts of mainstay programs such as Boomer and Gio, The Afternoon Drive, and Tiki and Tierney.

During the final session of the afternoon, Nass and Account Executive Kristin Conte ’12 discussed students’ career plans with them over lunch. The pair of Marist alums also offered an overview of their roles and day to day tasks in the sales division for Entercom.

Four Marist College students along with 24 students from Bard College, Mount Saint Mary College and SUNY New Paltz attended a career trip to Penguin Random House on Jan. 16 in New York City. Penguin Random House Director of Human Resources Stacy Berliner and Human Resources Recruiter Julie Slater spoke with all of the students to discuss the internship opportunities and full-time opportunities with their organization. Attendees also received a tour of the publishing offices.

For the third consecutive year the Marist College Center for Career Services held its LinkedIn Photo Booth event Nov. 29.

This year’s program was extended by an hour, as 140 students dressed in professional attire to have their headshot taken for their LinkedIn profile in the Alumni Reading Room on the third floor of the Cannavino Library. Each student took multiple headshots with one of three photographers and left with their photos on a flash drive provided by Northwestern Mutual, which sponsored the event.

Northwestern Mutual Director of Selection Ryan Reeves and Campus Recruiter Mary Kay Murphy were also on hand to speak to students individually about how to set up a strong LinkedIn profile.

"I was very impressed with the Marist students who attended this year's event,” said Desmond Murray, associate director of field experience in the Marist College Center For Career Services. “At least 20-25 students were at the LinkedIn Photo Booth almost 15 minutes before the event began. This shows that the students were eager to get their headshots and it also shows a good work ethic to be prompt for an interview or appointment."

About 30 additional students attended this year’s LinkedIn Photo Booth compared to last year’s event. Senior Michelle Eggink '18 even came to have her photo taken twice wearing separate outfits each time.

“It is very important to have a professional photo for your LinkedIn profile because you want potential employers to see you in your best light,” Eggink said. “With a professional photo you can put your best foot forward on digital platforms and potentially enhance your networking opportunities.”

The Marist College Center for Career Services took 30 students into New York City on Friday, November 17, to learn more about the inner workings of IPG MediaBrands.

A digital advertising agency overlooking Herald Square in Manhattan, IPG MediaBriands provides branding for corporations by offering digital strategy, creative content, community management, paid social media campaigns and analytics to its clients. Its employees work on advertising campaigns for traditional media such as television, radio, and print, as well as social and mobile media. The agency, which includes an in-house production company, also incorporates content into emerging media such as Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality.

Eight Marist College alumni currently work at IPG MediaBrands. The group held a Question and Answer session with current Marist students as part of the Career Trek. East Coast CEO Kris Mangel also held an information with students who attended the event at the agency’s headquarters. He outlined the agency’s structure and gave his thoughts on the state of the advertising industry. The Career Trek included a session led by IPG MediaBrands Talent Acquisition Partner Sean Ahearn ’14, who discussed the application process for jobs and the agency’s summer internship program. Students also took a tour of the five-story office building.

Marist College senior Matt Onorato helped organize the event after completing a 10-week internship with IPG MediaBrands last summer. He said his supervisors at IPG MediaBrands encouraged him to explore different sections of the agency while leading with a hands off management style.

“They really gave me the experience I wanted to get, even if it wasn’t available within the position I started in,” Onorato said. “On an individual level, they gave me the tools I needed to succeed and let me figure out tasks on my own.”

During his internship Onorato helped manage social media campaigns for clients such as Jeep, McCormick, Arby’s and Hershey’s. He attended promotional events for clients and created and conducted a presentation for a social media campaign to client executives at the conclusion of his internship.

Employees at IPG MediaBrands do not have desks. Instead they are provided with a laptop they can plug into screens around the office to encourage mobility and interaction between different people around the building each day.

Though Onorato was selected to intern within the Society business unit of IPG MediaBrands, he also worked alongside other employees on advertising campaigns for television. He said he enjoyed the collaborative work environment during his experience with the organization.

“It was really more like an apprenticeship than an internship because the agency wanted me to experience everything it was working on,” he said.

Onorato is currently a social media intern for the Marist College Center for Career Services and a graphic designer for Marist College Campus Ministry. He has accepted an offer to return to IPG MediaBrands after he graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a marketing concentration this May.

Onorato encouraged other students to explore new methods to reach a target audience and work hard to turn their current passions into a lifelong career.

“One of the directors at IPG told me to always fuel your creativity,” Onorato said. “No matter what you’re interested in just pursue it and everything else will fall into place.”

The British Invasion hit the Marist College campus Nov. 15, when Marist’s Center for Career Services hosted the first ever panel discussion exploring graduate study in the United Kingdom.

Representatives from eight UK universities from England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland took part in the panel to discuss the nuances of their campuses as well as aspects of academic study in the United Kingdom. Some universities had been to Marist before for last year’s UK Graduate School Forum while others came to Poughkeepsie for the first time.

Graduate School and Fellowship Advisor Pat Taylor organized the event and said she was pleased with the diversity of class years among students who attended as well as the wide range of universities on the panel.

“There was a great distribution of well-known schools from institutions such as the University of Manchester and Queen’s University Belfast to somewhat lesser known, but still strong schools like Northumbria and Aberdeen,” Taylor said. “There was something for any student who attended and lots of them came away interested in studying in the United Kingdom.”

All of the admissions representatives provided brief overviews of their institutions and their offerings before all joined in on a general question-and-answer session. Additional schools on the panel were Keele University and Lancaster University based in England and the University of Strathclyde and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Differences between graduate study in the United States and the United Kingdom that came up in the panel discussion included the different lengths of master’s programs in the United Kingdom, with some taking twelve months to complete while others last the two years we are more accustomed to in America. Further, UK graduate study is designated as either research-based---the MRes---or that emphasizing more foundational studies acquired through the taught master’s degree. Students who are self-directed are also more likely to thrive at a UK university than those who are not.

“UK students are given a vast syllabus but typically most of their grade is dependent on their final paper,” Taylor said. “Faculty are eager to meet with students, but, at the same time, they’re not going to spoon-feed them.”

Taylor noted the UK may appeal to prospective graduate students because of the opportunity to explore its diversity of cultures and thought through collaborative research with faculty members. At the same time, American students who move to the United Kingdom for postgraduate courses face little to no language barrier. It is also extremely easy to travel to different areas of the UK, and there is a significant difference between U.S. and U.K. tuition fees.

Many UK universities on the panel have rolling admissions, but specific graduate programs at these schools may have official deadlines that fall in the spring. There also may be institutional financial aid in the form of scholarships, called bursaries, nationally competitive scholarships for U.K. postgraduate study such as the Marshall Scholarship, and other forms of help specifically for international students coming from across the pond.

“Study in the UK is not for everybody,” Taylor said. “Some students may not feel comfortable being away from home for an extended period of time, but it’s great for students who are hungry for a rich educational experience.”

Underclassmen at Marist learned about applying for the Marshall Scholarship from committee members who review applications. Assistant Secretary and Head of Scholarship Administration Mary Denyer and Selection Committee Chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission Diane Flynn gave an hour long presentation to discuss the upcoming application cycle and give background information on the nationally competitive award.

The Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Partner schools for the Marshall Scholarship include 160 universities across the United Kingdom.

During the information session attendees received advice on the application, interview, and selection processes for the Marshall Scholarship. Flynn and Denyer touched on the components of the application and variety of universities for scholarship recipients to choose from respectively.

Both representatives answered individual questions from students following the presentation. Graduate School and Fellowship Advisor Pat Taylor organized the event.

Graduate School and Fellowship Advisor Pat Taylor and the Marist English Department invited Dr. Sinead Moynihan to share her research on Irish migration and representations of Irish heritage. Moynihan came to Poughkeepsie from the United Kingdom to give her lecture, which was titled Diaspora.

In a special event for Marist students, faculty, and staff, Associate Customer Success Manager for LinkedIn Emily Frankenberry, shared advice on creating an effective LinkedIn profile.

Frankenberry gave her presentation in two different sessions. She discussed how to build your brand on LinkedIn, effective methods for networking on the platform, and strategies for researching job opportunities. A Q&A followed each presentation and Frankenberry even reviewed some students' LinkedIn profiles with them while she was on campus.

The Marist College Center for Career Services took students to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Career Insights event in New York City to learn more about working at a museum. Students received information about The Met’s renowned internship and entry-level opportunities.

The afternoon included a panel discussion with Directors of The Met, who shared their tips for breaking into the museum field. After the panel students were able to network with curators, educators, designers, and scientists, during information sessions held throughout the museum.

Free admission to the Met was included in the event registration, so students also enjoyed exploring the exhibits.

More than 40 colleges and universities packed two floors of the Cannavino Library for the annual Graduate School Forum. Students met with admissions representatives to discuss the application process for graduate programs.

Graduate School and Fellowship Advisor Pat Taylor organized the event.

The Marist College Center for Career Services hosts a Career and Internship Fair midway through each semester. The fair brings more than 50 employers to campus. Some recruiters who attend are looking to hire Marist students and soon to be graduates for full-time jobs, internships, and other opportunities across a variety of majors.

More than 700 students and 60 employers were on hand for the Fall 2018 Career and Internship Fair, which was held in a new location; the Murray Student Center. 47 company representatives were Marist College alumni.

For the second consecutive fair there was a LinkedIn Photo Booth where attendees could have a free professional headshot taken for their LinkedIn profile. The booth was set up in the back of the Nelly Goletti Theatre and more than 200 students stopped to have their headshot taken.

Employers from six different companies participated Interview Preparation Day. As part of the annual event, students signed up for 30-minute practice interview time slots with recruiters. After each conversation, each student received feedback on their responses and other aspects of interviewing such as body language and how well they marketed themselves.

The event was held during a Fall semester for the first time. Midway through the day, each recruiter attended a networking lunch to give their thoughts on the students they interviewed and on the event itself. Employers who participated in the event included Marist alumni Zach Quarles '16, Coordinator of Facilities Security & Intelligence Analytics at the NBA, and Richard Nass '92, Director of Automotive Sales at Entercom, formerly known as CBS Radio.

Representatives from Enterprise, IBM and New York Life also came to campus to conduct mock interviews.

The inaugural Meet The Firms Event took place on Wednesday, September 12, in the Murray Student Center. Recruiters and alumni came to campus to recruit and connect with potential job and internship candidates from Marist College. Firms who participated in this event represent private firms, public companies, and government agencies. The event provided the opportunity for students to learn more about careers within their field of study and develop relationships with companies for future employment opportunities. The firms present at the event were:

Sponsored by the Marist College Center for Career Services, Road to the Workplace trips give Marist students opportunities to network with alumni and other professionals at their company work sites. Students who attend these events receive an introduction to an organization’s culture, tour work environments, and learn about available professional development opportunities within a variety of career clusters.

Check out some destinations that Marist students traveled to during the last semester and the individuals who hosted each event: